Make it wild

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Budding young zoologists can use their creativity to design a
detailed park for 30 different species in this appealing sequel. It
is perfect for parents to enjoy with their kids.

Players can experience what it is like to visit the park as a
guest, interact with the animals as a zookeeper or take photos of
the beasts.

Modern zoos have been transformed from concrete prisons to lush,
natural biospheres catering to individual animal requirements. Zoo
Tycoon follows the philosophy that more natural environments ensure
animals are healthier and visitors are therefore happier.

The biggest change is the move to three-dimensional graphics,
which enable players to mould the landscape, using hills and
valleys as natural barriers and ensuring more interesting parks.
Both flora and fauna are pleasingly attractive and reasonably
detailed.

Many players will be content with the Free-form mode, which
offers a blank canvas with unlimited resources and all items
unlocked. Challenge games are more tightly focused, while the
Campaign mode leads players through 17 scenarios.

The difficulty level is modest, which suits the young target
audience. Most challenges can be tackled using the same
money-making strategies, and advisers are always on hand to suggest
the best types of animal habitat, food and shelter. Adults looking
for a more testing simulation should try RollerCoaster Tycoon
3.

The biggest grumble is that, once you have constructed a basic
park, there is often nothing to do except sit back and wait for
more money to roll in. Your zookeepers and maintenance staff take
care of the park, and there is rarely a calamity that needs your
attention. Many players will feel the pace is too slow.

Endgame: An enjoyable and educational tool that
offers freedom to create attractive zoos.

Get on Da Mic

Runs on: PS2

Price: $99.95

Classification: G8+

Rating: * * ½

SingStar, the competitive karaoke game that has many PS2 owners
lining up for the next series of Australian Idol, has been a huge
success. So it was only a matter of time before pretenders to its
glittering pop throne arrived, with Get on Da Mic being the first
of many.

Its main claim to superstar fame is the fact that it's all about
rapping rather than singing. An extensive line-up of popular
hip-hop tracks is included, but sadly these are all cover versions
rather than the originals. The video clips for these songs are
missing as well - instead, you'll be rapping in a
computer-generated world, complete with cheering crowds and
bouncing cars. The better you do, the more hyped the crowd will
become, but miss the beat and booing won't be far away.

Unlike in SingStar, the tone of your voice isn't important. In
Get on Da Mic it's all about timing, which is perfectly acceptable
considering that rap is more about beats than melodies. However,
the game seems very forgiving of bad timing, and you don't even
need to rap to pass a test - tapping the microphone is just as
successful. Where SingStar can distinguish a merely bad singer from
a woeful one, Get on Da Mic has a hard time differentiating between
a skilled rapper and a baby dribbling into the microphone.

Compounding these problems is the poor presentation of lyrics,
which often pop up on screen milliseconds before they must be
spoken. This makes it difficult to rap to tracks that are
unfamiliar. Rather than being SingStar in da hood, Get on Da Mic
ends up playing more like Vanilla Ice than Snoop Dogg.

Highly anticipated PS2 driving simulation Gran Turismo 4 will
feature four Australian cars. Among the huge virtual garage of 700
vehicles, GT4 showcases the Holden SS Commodore and Monaro Series
2, plus the new Ford Performance Vehicles GT and F6 Typhoon. The
game is due to be released next month.

Rockstar has announced that PS2 monster hit Grand Theft Auto:
San Andreas will be released mid-year on Xbox and PC.

Electronic Arts has bought a 20 per cent stake in rival
Ubisoft, the French publisher of games such as Ghost Recon, Myst
and Prince of Persia. Rumours abound of a takeover bid.

Vivendi Universal is working on a new game featuring Marvel's
not-so-jolly green giant, The Incredible Hulk. The game will be
released mid-year for PS2, Xbox and GameCube owners, and allows
players to roam freely around a fully destructible city using lots
of objects as potential weapons.

If you missed Half-Life 2, generally agreed to be one of the
best games of last year, you can get a free taste of its epic
shoot-'em-up action.

Developer Valve has released a demo that lets PC owners sample
some of the early levels. Visit half-life2.com for details.